Dr. Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed blog author, speaker, writer and professor, is the keynote speaker for Synergoi; Church Leaders Conference set for Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014 at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The one-day conference for pastors and church leaders provides opportunities for professional and spiritual development. In addition to Dr. McKnight, Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Ministry faculty will present additional workshops.
The event gets under way at 9 a.m. in MacArthur Hall on the Palm Beach Atlantic University campus in West Palm Beach. Cost of registration is $15 and includes lunch. Online registration is open at learn-well.pba.edu/synergoi-2013. The event is sponsored by the University’s Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program.

Several faculty and staff members who teach have volunteered to create for entering freshmen either an integrated learning assignment across two courses for fall 2014, or a service learning project. All of the assignments have been approved by the Learning Community Coordinating Council and will be in fall 2014 classes.

PBA education students in the Teaching Science and Teaching Math course recently held a Math/Science workshop for the voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) students in First Baptist’s pre-school program. Four-year-olds rotated through several stations, including Alligator Greater/Less Than, Finding Fossils, Christmas Patterns and the Water Cycle. Students made water cycle beads bracelets, Cheerios pattern necklaces, Play-Doh fossils and munching alligators to take home.

As the fall semester came to a close, all across campus students were busy wrapping up their papers and projects and getting ready for exams. Elizabeth, a psychology student, came to reference librarian Anthony Verdesca for help finding two articles. Read Verdesca’s account below to see how they tackled a challenging reference search, and how the librarian delighted in Elizabeth’s love of learning.

The Palm Beach Atlantic University Speaker and Expert Guide is a tool to help local and national journalists create more compelling stories by identifying and connecting with University faculty members. In addition, the guide helps churches and program chairs of civic and educational organizations to find interesting and informed speakers.

Dr. James B. South, an associate professor of philosophy at Marquette University and editor of the journal Philosophy & Theology, will speak on the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas and his disciple Francisco Suarez in relation to the disembodied soul at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, in the DeSantis Family Chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The free event is the 14th annual Aquinas Lecture sponsored by the University's Newman Club. Call (561) 803-2419 for information.

Cameren Williams, an eighth-grader at Bak Middle School of the Arts and a student in the Preparatory Department at Palm Beach Atlantic University, was chosen to perform as a soloist in an international music competition at Carnegie Hall on Sunday.

Student-athlete Stefano Bucciol, who double-majored in management and marketing, graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University this month as Outstanding Graduate of the University's Rinker School of Business.